idea for a challenging game

[Pocus]

Have someone tried to handle an empire with a dual civilian/imperial command? That is you let the AI ministers perform, FROM START, all colonization, exploration, pop transport handling, and colony developpment for mining worlds (only)?

You would have control over some selected imperial worlds, and on the production of warships. Facilities would be constructed by the AI.

The idea would be to be an emperor with control over the military, and on some Imperial Worlds (a criteria would be no more one per system), and the economic and mundane civilian traffic would be done by the AI. You would not be allowed to interdict systems which are not border ones, and thus protection of civilian transports can be rather critical.

Just a start of an idea.

[Q]

You need very strong nerves to do that!
For a human player the AI decisions are frequently enough to drive one to despair. And then just watch and do nothing about it? I couldn't stand it.

[Pocus]

Remember, you handle military affairs while the commodores aboard cargos do stupid things. It is your duty to protect them. A colonizator went to cross the entire quadrant to reach an irradiated tiny world, no problems, your proud battle cruisers will provide protection.

Hey, stupid civilians they are after all

[Gandalph]

I frequently do exactly this in solo games as kind of a handicapp against the AI. Sometimes I hand over all control except ship design, politics, and research, even giving attack and defense to the AI. Then I will manually take over a specific fleet and use it for my own attacks.